summerteeth in North Hollywood, California said: if you can't find a job on your own, what makes you think your recruiter can do it? recruiters are not miracle-workers.

Well put! I read so many complaints where people seem to believe the temp agency is going to do something unusual for them in terms of employment. The truth is that agencies are just one of many different ways you get a job. It's you and your credentials that get you a job.

You can locate employers by walking up to them on the street - visiting their place of business - filling out applications at their location or on-line - or being referred by a friend who works there.

In every case, it is YOU that gets the job based on your employability. All an agency does is save you the trouble of doing all that walking and researching.

In a way, this website allows you to be your own employment agency in that it provides a list of jobs being offered and you do the searching and inform yourself which job looks like a good match.

Imagine yourself sitting at the desk of an employment agency and you have only one client (yourself). That is all an agency does or should be expected to do.

I will tell you a secret about agencies... If you go there and you are not selected for a particular job, your chances are slim of that agency ever calling you again. If you apply for a simpler job and show the agency you can be trusted to do good work and are reliable, then you will be called back for other jobs first. Along the way, you might be able to convince them you have additional skills and might get better assignments.

My advice is that if you have very marketable skills, bypass the agencies and go straight to employers. Agencies are for people who are a bit more desperate for work in general.

Call me Carlie in Atlanta, Georgia said: Well put! I read so many complaints where people seem to believe the temp agency is going to do something unusual for them in terms of employment. The truth is that agencies are just one of many different ways you get a job. It's you and your credentials that get you a job.

You can locate employers by walking up to them on the street - visiting their place of business - filling out applications at their location or on-line - or being referred by a friend who works there.

In every case, it is YOU that gets the job based on your employability. All an agency does is save you the trouble of doing all that walking and researching.

In a way, this website allows you to be your own employment agency in that it provides a list of jobs being offered and you do the searching and inform yourself which job looks like a good match.

Imagine yourself sitting at the desk of an employment agency and you have only one client (yourself). That is all an agency does or should be expected to do.

I will tell you a secret about agencies... If you go there and you are not selected for a particular job, your chances are slim of that agency ever calling you again. If you apply for a simpler job and show the agency you can be trusted to do good work and are reliable, then you will be called back for other jobs first. Along the way, you might be able to convince them you have additional skills and might get better assignments.

My advice is that if you have very marketable skills, bypass the agencies and go straight to employers. Agencies are for people who are a bit more desperate for work in general.

I like your advice. At first, I thought you were being condescending, but as I continued to read, it's very sound advice. I plan on doing it myself.

summerteeth in North Hollywood, California said: you read all the complaints here but people don't see the positive stuff. i don't want to be immodest, but there's another side of the story. i'm a recruiter in los angeles and i've got a stack of thank you letters & cards that i keep in my office. those people would say what a difference it makes to have a recruiter in their corner. not doing all the legwork, but with the approach that teamwork is better than doing it alone.

Could you please email me at mar11mon@yahoo.com? I would like to be one of those people to send you a thank you card too.

summerteeth in North Hollywood, California said: you read all the complaints here but people don't see the positive stuff. i don't want to be immodest, but there's another side of the story. i'm a recruiter in los angeles and i've got a stack of thank you letters & cards that i keep in my office. those people would say what a difference it makes to have a recruiter in their corner....

What is a "recruiter" doing visiting job boards? Just for the record, your comment is full of grammatical errors. How you can offer representation when you clearly cannot express yourself in a concise and cohesive manner?

Dy DY in Fort Edward, New York said: Not impressed with temp agencies---- They never call you EVER! I have applied with so many and I am more than enough qualified ---
They are such a turn off --- All of them

did you ever get hired? I am in the same situation; over qualified cant find a job. even applying for jobs i qualify for i dont get called. should i downgrade my resume?

I moved to the south hoping finding a real job would be easy. It's been a month and no real bites on any of the tons of resumes I've put out to Colleges and Universities. I put my resume up on Career Builder and within a few hours a temp agency called me and they wanted me to come in to interview right away. She hurried me through the process and didnt' really explain any of it to me, just said it was "admin support" work that I could be assigned to the following Monday. I didn't even have to go to an interview at the company itself. I started Monday and basically I was thrown into a woman's office who was on medical leave, and told to "sort out the mess". This woman was a slob, and there were papers everywhere. I was put in charge of important documents and told to just do something with them. I had no idea what was what, and felt really weird organizing a stranger's office. They basically assumed I would be psychic and just know what was what, and now I can't wait to get out of here. If I was properly trained in the business, it would be one thing, but I feel completely out of the loop. The pay is decent, but if I quit before the end of the assignment, I only get $6.00 an hour instead of the full $12. I am pretty screwed either way.

Mrs. H in Durham, North Carolina said: I started Monday and basically I was thrown into a woman's office who was on medical leave, and told to "sort out the mess". This woman was a slob, and there were papers everywhere. I was put in charge of important documents and told to just do something with them. I had no idea what was what, and felt really weird organizing a stranger's office.

That is simple. You just arrange everything as though it is your office. The person will most likely be on medical leave for a long time and if you arrange everything so that YOU can find whatever they ask for, then the job will be yours I'd say.

Ayanna in Dacula, Georgia said: did you ever get hired? I am in the same situation; over qualified cant find a job. even applying for jobs i qualify for i dont get called. should i downgrade my resume?

Don't downgrade your resume, leave out things related to your age but not your skills. Sign up at every agency you can find and tell them you want to work at whatever they have until they can find something appropriate for you.

Stuffing tee shirts in bags in Lawrenceville isn't a glorious career but it will be invaluable for you because the agency will know that they are making some money from you and that you are a stable employee and that if they get you the right job both of you will make even more money. It's called scratch the back

Ayanna in Atlanta, Georgia said: i know all about scratching backs. i need somebody to scratch mine for a change. I will indeed go for the more modest approach. i would be the t-shirt bag stuffer of the year.

It sounds ridiculous but in any job, there are things you gain aside from just pay. There are so many workers out there who for some reason have so many problems in their lives (no matter what their skills and education are) that they find it difficult to just show up everyday on time and do what is asked. The proverbial bag stuffer at least gets the opportunity to show they are a good worker and when you have added that to your resume in the sense that the agency is fully aware, you are on your way.

Tell me some of your skills and I may be able to help (no personal information though) as I lived in the Atlanta area for more than thirty years.

Call me Charlie--I DON'T WANT the job! LOL! I can't stand this business and want to get as far away from it as I can! I have absolutely no interest in Marketing, and just because I have a Journalism degree that does not mean I may like this field. Obviously, the temp agency thought that and I am about to tell them they made a big mistake!

I really wish they had made me interview with the company before assigning me. I will know to stand up for myself "next" time if I am asked to do it without an interview.

Call me Charlie in Louisville, Kentucky said: That is simple. You just arrange everything as though it is your office. The person will most likely be on medical leave for a long time and if you arrange everything so that YOU can find whatever they ask for, then the job will be yours I'd say.

Call me Charlie--I DON'T WANT the job! LOL! I can't stand this business and want to get as far away from it as I can! I have absolutely no interest in Marketing, and just because I have a Journalism degree that does not mean I may like this field. Obviously, the temp agency thought that and I am about to tell them they made a big mistake!

I really wish they had made me interview with the company before assigning me. I will know to stand up for myself "next" time if I am asked to do it without an interview.

Mrs. H in Durham, North Carolina said: Call me Charlie--I DON'T WANT the job! LOL! I can't stand this business and want to get as far away from it as I can! I have absolutely no interest in Marketing, and just because I have a Journalism degree that does not mean I may like this field. Obviously, the temp agency thought that and I am about to tell them they made a big mistake!

I really wish they had made me interview with the company before assigning me. I will know to stand up for myself "next" time if I am asked to do it without an interview.

In that case, if it is that bad, then ask for another assignment. I have worked for such agencies in the past who claim that you will not be paid more than a minimum rate if you don't complete the assignment, but the agency paid me the full rate when I cooperated with them and gave proper notice. They are not monsters, you know.

I've had a great experience working with several temp agencies, most recently Kelly Services -- within a couple of hours of my interview, I had two assignments.

"My advice is that if you have very marketable skills, bypass the agencies and go straight to employers. Agencies are for people who are a bit more desperate for work in general."

I was new in town, and it was a great way to get a job right away.

What I'm going to say may sound petty to some, but I haven't seen it addressed so far -- what you wear to your interview at the temp agency can make a big difference in the number of jobs offered to you. While I was recently interviewed at Kelly Services, several other applicants were also being interviewed. A majority of the other applicants were dressed in clothing more suitable for a casual afternoon with friends (jeans, hoodies, t-shirts, flip-flops) rather than for an interview. Yes, many of the positions available won't require formal business clothing, but many require at least a step up from jeans. This may be the only interview you get with the agency, so first impressions are important. It is my opinon that many people think that if they are interviewing at an agency that it's not a "real" interview -- if you don't treat it as a real interview, they're not likely to send you out on one.

dy DY, I have no clue as to whether or not this has anything to do with why you don't get called by the temp agencies, I'm just offering this as a possibility.

Also, I've never heard of the "minimum rate" being paid for not completing a job -- it sounds like something an agency came up with to get people to stay at really bad jobs. If that's the case, they should offer the job with a warning that it's likely to be a bad situation.

I have seen the minimum wage threat a few times. The family lawyer says she does not believe they could actually get away with it, though. The ones I have seen do not actually pertain to specific assignments, they are in the general rules for the agency. I think it is meant mostly as a threat, but I believe they COULD get away with it if they wanted to do so.

You are most correct regarding the clothing. I happen to be the opposite end of the spectrum. I know what to wear for the interview but due to it having been even more a stringent requirement in the past, I feel a bit too casual when wearing not even a necktie to an interview these days.

The same sort of thing applies on the job. I recently had a temp assignment and I wore casual slacks and a long sleeve shirt both to the interviews and to work each day. While on the job, I discovered the floor around my workspace was so littered that if I dropped a tiny part, it was difficult to find it among the debris. So I swept the floor for my area and the manager was amazed. He also complimented me on my choice of shirt and it was only then I noticed the other tech wore a "Polo" shirt and jeans to work.

A good rule of thumb is to dress for ANY office visit a bit higher than you normally would. If you go to an interview wearing a tie, they may not expect you to always wear one to work daily. By the same token, if you wear flip-flops to an interview, they will fear that you may come to work barefoot on a daily basis.

I'm glad to have found this discussion. I'm for sure having my doubts with Kelly Services, Kelly Financial, Accountemps, etc. I'm beginning to feel like it's the ole "bait & switch" routine with the temp & recruiting agencies. Please share your thoughts about recruiters posting on Craigslist and not identifying they are a recruiting agency and marking the option in the ad: "Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster". I think a lot of the agencies are desperate...

debbielo5@hotmail.com in Antelope, California said: I'm glad to have found this discussion. .... Please share your thoughts about recruiters posting on Craigslist and not identifying they are a recruiting agency and marking the option in the ad: "Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster".

Well obviously the recruiting agency would have no need for another agency to contact them about a job posting. Why would any employer want to pay agency ABC its fees who then paid agency XYZ their fees to get a temp?

The option is there for INDIVIDUALS who wish to hire direct and not pay a recruiter the fees. Most jobs on Craig's are for individuals wanting someone to come over and do some work for the week end. It isn't that big in commercial recruiting.

Kelly, on the other hand, has been in commercial business for many many years. They used to call themselves the "Kelly Girl" agency back when temp jobs were a relatively new thing and most temps were female secretaries and general office workers.

I keep seeing this idea mentioned that somehow recruiters should have to identify themselves as though they were some horrible scam. It just isn't so. They are just businesses.

It reminds me of the warnings on each cigarette box. I bought the darn things because I want to smoke them. I don't need to have some warning every time I light up. Likewise, it would be a grave injustice to have some necessity to WARN people that the opportunity was through an agency.

I think the only time it's really important for an agency to identify themselves as such is when they are the kind that charges a fee to the person seeking a job. I don't see anything wrong with them charging a fee (they are working to get you a job, unlike an agency that is working for a company to fill a position) -- I just want to know up front that that's what the deal is.

I have to say I have been on both sides of the coin. I used temp agencies when I had little or no experience to get my foot in the door at prominent companies - that probably would have skimmed over my resume if I had gone to them directly. I established a good work ethic, dependability and tried to learn everything I could as I made my way up through the ranks of "temping". That time of my life was a great way to get paid to learn.

Temporary assignments allow you to network with employers and give you the "probationary period" with no obligation to the employer - if you don't like the assignment, you let the recruiter know - and they help you to find something else more fitting. Some temp positions can turn permanent.

At this stage of my career, I am a recruiter. You would not believe the resumes that I have to go through that have nothing to do with the position posted. I guess some people are looking for their "lucky break". I can tell you if you are not getting call backs, you may want to go to a class on creating an eye catching resume or have an agency work through your skillsets. Also evaluate your career and employment objectives. If you are by trade, a call center representative, you are not going to be considered for the director of manufacturing position that is being posted. I get resumes all the time for clerks with no education applying for executive positions. If that is your goal, either go back to school or get in at an entry level position with that company and work your way up through the ranks, proving your worthiness.

Unfortunately a recruiter doesn't have the magic wand to make a frog into a prince.

I used to work for a small temp company in Colorado. I was always amazed at the number of adults who came in with few or no job skills. We'd generally place them in basic laborer types of positions when we couldn't find anyone else and just pray that they'd show up. They'd talk about how they were willing to do anything and really wanted to work -- they they wouldn't show up on the job -- no phone call saying they wouldn't be showing up, nothing.

Another thing about recruiters -- some companies simply don't have staff available for conducting interviews so they have a recruiter do the initial time-consuming legwork for them (and weed out the clerks applying for the management positions).

Question for Di and daReporta (great screen name by the way). Since you guys should be in the know..... I have heard that these days almost any job posting for almost any position generates a hundred resume responses. Is that true or is it an exaggeration? Just curious.

Call me Charlie in Louisville, Kentucky said: Question for Di and daReporta (great screen name by the way). Since you guys should be in the know..... I have heard that these days almost any job posting for almost any position generates a hundred resume responses. Is that true or is it an exaggeration? Just curious.

I spoke at length with an HR person at a large mfg. company who told me the internet recruiting process results in their receiving many more resumes than the old-fashioned way of publishing classified ads soliciting job candidates. He said consequentially, the whole hiring process is taking much longer as they're having to screen numerous resumes, etc.

Recently, I posted a position for a Commercial Loan Officer - of the 150+ resumes I received, 7 were actually Commercial Lenders. It's easy to sit in front of your computer and click "apply"... I guess the opinion is "it's worth a shot". I spend 2-3 hours a day going through resumes.

daReporta said: Recently, I posted a position for a Commercial Loan Officer - of the 150+ resumes I received, 7 were actually Commercial Lenders. It's easy to sit in front of your computer and click "apply"... I guess the opinion is "it's worth a shot". I spend 2-3 hours a day going through resumes.

Dy DY in Fort Edward, New York said: Not impressed with temp agencies---- They never call you EVER! I have applied with so many and I am more than enough qualified ---
They are such a turn off --- All of them

Temp agencies and recruiters can be summed up in two words:
JOB PIMPS!

I understand and agree with you. However, this forum has enlightened me a bit as to how and why recruiters operate the way they do in this day and age. I was blown away when I learned that they can get hundreds of responses on one ad. I do believe there are applicants that apply that are clearly underqualified because "They have been advised to apply for anything" because you never know when you might score that once in a lifetime great paying job you're not qualified for! Recruiters are in it for the buck, much like real estate agents....some good ones and some not so good. Some knowledgeable, some not. One recruiter thought Craigslist only listed jobs for week-end gigs!

My guess will be that you'll get a response from a recruiter saying that you probably aren't getting any responses because you're probably not qualified for jobs you're applying for. My advice to you would be to ignore it. I thought the recruiters were the best thing that ever happened until I became involved with them....I've been driving all over town, testing, interviewing, interviewing again......we have the goods, we're doing all the legwork, the recruiter will sell you for less than you're worth, then collect the check. What did you call them???? So "in my opinion" it boils down to "business as usual". Are they bad....not really.....are they beneficial.....not really.

Di in Lexington, Kentucky said: But aren't recruiters paid according to the salary of the position? Wouldn't that make them work harder to get a better salary for you?

This is true. The agencies that I have done business with generally get about a 55 percent markup as a fee based on your salary. The thing is, though, they have to be reasonable as any business does. It does them no good to get you a job that makes them twice as much money for the two weeks it takes the employer to realize you don't know what you are doing and terminates the assignment.

Given an even playing field, however, it certainly is to their advantage to get you as high a salary as you are capable of commanding, but in the end, it is in the employer's hands to decide how much you are worth to them.

In the last two temp jobs I went on (last month) pay was not discussed until the final agreements. I was basically asked how much I wanted and that info was relayed to the employer. The last employer said he really didn't know how much the agency was going to charge him. We both found out at the same time as it was printed on the time sheet for his signature.

Of course he didn't care. It was the home office who had to pick up the bill and if they had given him the extra slot he would have hired me direct and they could save that money. In a way, the more the agency charged, the better my chances of a permanent hire.

Wow! What an interesting discussion. Seems like some things never change, but there are some new twists here. For example, the person who said that the only people who use employment/temp/recruiting agencies are desperate for a job. I may be an oddity, but I prefer contracting to working fulltime, and have been doing so for about 15 years. By contracting, I don't have to get drawn (so much) into the office politics and the boredom of the same-faces, same-old everyday for years. I like going into a new place, getting the job done without having to kiss butt to try to get ahead or keep my job, and then, when the job is done, on to the next one. Nothing "desperate" about that at all. At least, it makes me a happy camper.

So far as recruiters, yeah, some of them are rather slimy. Nothing I hate worse than to be sent on an interview for a job that I'm clearly not qualified for or interested in. But on the whole, I have to say that my experience with recruiters has been more on the positive side than the negative. Maybe it's because of my expectations. I don't expect them to adopt me and keep me working for the rest of my life. When the contract ends, if the company I've been working through doesn't have anything lined up for me to go to, I start interviewing with every recruiting company in town. I always let them know, by the way, that I'm no more married to any of them than they are to me -- it's just business, and whoever can find me a job first for the price that I want gets the commission.

Speaking of commission, here again, it's up to the employee to be informed. If, as happened on one job I was one, you're being paid $15 an hour and you find out that the recruiter is getting paid $55 an hour for your time, you have only yourself to blame. No sense getting mad at that person sitting next to you who's pulling down $40 an hour for the same job. Instead, learn from them and how to find out what the going rate is for people in your position.

Cautious in Huron, South Dakota said: ... For example, the person who said that the only people who use employment/temp/recruiting agencies are desperate for a job.

Actually I said more desperate for a job than people who have very marketable skills. If you had more marketable skills you would be able to get a job as a consultant in your field or could start a company where you provide your particular service to the market. That way, you'd be making more money and the "fees" would be in your pocket instead of the agency.

But I personally am all for temping as a constant employment and for the reasons you have listed. it is particularly great for people over age 40 because the employer does not have the same concerns about you as an insurance risk as he would if he hired you permanently, while at the same time being able to take advantage of your advanced skills if even for a short time.

I think agencies should tout older workers as trainers. The employer hires you for a short assignment (say 90 days) and your job during that time is to come in and evaluate the workers and the procedures and make suggestions and bring the less experienced ones up to date. When you leave, the employer is much the better for it and you move on to the next.

I say this because some of the best and most helpful suggestions seem to come from temps who can say "Well when I worked for XYZ company last month, they did it this way." Invaluable information for any company - especially small ones who may not be able to hire real heavyweights.

To bad I didnâ€™t read these comments earlier!!!!!!!!!! I went to my job as a test evaluator with Kelly Services this morning. Letâ€™s just say after my 15 min break I was in my car on way home. I couldnâ€™t sit there and read essays all day long and get paid $ 11 an hour. Not to mention they donâ€™t inform you until you get there that you may be removed from the project if you donâ€™t pass the test(to see if your capable of scoring) after a 2 hour training. The bottom line is this job is for people who enjoyed English, Creative Writing and Math in College. All those people who either to those classes because they needed an elective or needed those classes to graduate. DONâ€™T WASTE YOUR TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Dy DY in Fort Edward, New York said: Not impressed with temp agencies---- They never call you EVER! I have applied with so many and I am more than enough qualified ---
They are such a turn off --- All of them

I hear you loud and clear! If they ever DO Call you, they call your for something that you have absolutely NO Experience in, whatsover. And if you refuse, they will send a complaint letter to unemployment. I have already been through 3 hearings that I won...but I am seriously sick and tired of going back and forth to fight for what I shouldn't have to fight for. I have been unemployed since May, from a company that I worked for that has nothing to do with Kelly services. I am STILL Looking for a job on my own, but didn't mind working temporary until I can find a job on my own. But...I have 18 years experience in Data Entry/Administrative Assistant, and all they have called me up for was "A Store Greeter", or "A Call Center" where I would be reading off a script! I have done HospitalClaims, Medicare Claims, straight DataEntry, no phones were ever involved, I do not have any customer service experience at all, but as Kelly services goes, your experience is quite useless when they have a job to fill that nobody wants. I am just waiting for them to get my unemployment rights revoked. I will never, ever work for them again.

Dy DY in Fort Edward, New York said: Not impressed with temp agencies---- They never call you EVER! I have applied with so many and I am more than enough qualified ---
They are such a turn off --- All of them

Temporary agencies are a backstabbing bunch of liars and crooks all the way through. They make their money by exploiting the workers through the worker getting paid less than someone else with questionable skills. Its a big ripoff folks because they know you need a job and the employer turns around and sticks it to people and they know they can get away with it. Its time to unionize the American workforce again and let these people know that enough is enough.

By the way, do yourself a favor and pay off all the credit cards and stop spending, the more you do this, the more you starting giving this teetering system time to crash. Its happening more and more by the day.

Whats really funny about all of it is that these job pimps are really ripping people off and the employers are giving them the assist. I don't expect an employer to change my diaper at all but I do expect fair compensation for the services provided. The temp culture is their way of getting by without paying anyone a decent wage and some sort of benefits. And you wonder why government is constantly going further into the hole with the health care debacle.

I know exactly what recruiters do. First, you love to collect our job references so you can call them to do sales pitches. That's the main reason recruiters demand references. I've even had you jokers demand my references before even seeing me in person! NOW I KNOW WHY. You just want these references as "sales leads".

And I give recruiters a lot of credit for their creativity - they are pretty darn good at making up those phony job advertisements. Actually, this type of fraud should and can be considered criminal, so there is some food for thought.

I applied for an opening as a temp-to-hire from Kelly for a lab tech since I'm taking a year off before going to grad school for my masters in chemistry and I'm pretty sure this requires a formal interview. However, the recruiter seemed pretty confident in my qualifications and I all she gave me was a rundown of the position and I filled out necessary paperwork, tax forms, clearance for a background check and filling out a direct deposit form(with my bankaccount numbers and all).